Adjusting and locking mechanism for reclining chairs



Nov. 11, 1952 A. SKOK 2,617,469

ADJUSTING AND LOCKING MECHANISM FOR RECLINING' CHAIRS Filed May 29, 1950IN VEN TOR.

Patented Nov. 11, 1952 ime" STATES PATENT ADJUSTING AND LOCKINGMECHANISM FOR RECLINING CHAIRS Alois Skok, Pasadena, Calif. ApplicationMay 29,1950, Serial No. 164,973 2 This invention relates to improvementsin locking devices andis directed particularly to an improved adjustingand locking mechanism designed particularly for reclining chairs.

A particular object of the present invention is to provide an adjustingand locking mechanism of the character stated which can be easily andquickly released and locked by actuation of a single control lever.

A further object is to provide a mechanism of the character statedcomprising a, pivotally mounted bolt for actuation relative to a fixedkeeper bar, with a pivoted bolt actuator lever which not only functionsto positively shift the bolt toward and away from said bar but alsofunctions to lock the bolt against accidental movement when it isengaged with the bar and when it is disengaged therefrom.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent. asthe description of the same proceeds and the invention will be bestunderstood from a consideration of the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing formin a part of thespecification, with the understanding, however, that the invention isnot to be limited to the eX-' act details of construction shown anddescribed since obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled inthe art.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical front to'rear section of a recliningchair showin the present invention in operative connection therewith,the chair back and seat being shifted to full reclining position.

Figure 2 is a detail view on an enlargedscale, of the locking mechanismin engaged position, its disengaged position bein shown in broken lines.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2. p v

Figure 4 is a view in frontelevation, on a reduced scale of achairstructure constructed in accordance with the present invention, theupper part of the back being broken away.

Referrin now more particularly to the drawing the numeral l designatesone of the two side arms of a reclining chair, or similar article offurniture, each of such arms having the front and back feet II and I2respectively.

The numeral l3 designates the back which is pivotally supported betweenthe two side arms for turning or swinging on a transverse axis extendingacross the chair at the rear upper part of the arms whereby it may bemade to assume a substantially upright positionor a horizontal position,in which'latter'position it is shown in Figure 1. Such axismay beprovided by a, cross rod l4 connecting the side, arms 10 together andpassing through the seat back l3 as shown in Figures 1 and 4, or anyother suit-able means may be employed for rotatably supporting the back.

The numeral [5 designates a seat. This is piv- 3' Claims. (01. 155 -45)2 otally supported at its on pivots it, which are carried by suspensionarms [1, which arms are set into suitable recesses l'la formed in theinner sides of the arms at the front of the latter, to be positionedbetween the ends of the seat and the adjacent chair side arms 10. Thesesuspension arms are pivotally suspended as at l8 from the chair sidearms adjacent to the tops of the latter.

While the seat suspension arms may be made to terminate near the pivots[6, they are here shown as extending below the latter, when the seat isin normal lowered position, and have secured between them the heel paneI 9, which assumes the character of a front wall panel for the chair,between the side arms [0, when the sea is lowered, as stated. 7

The numeral 20 designates a foot rest joined to the two side wings 2|which are each pivoted, as at 22, to one side of the panel [9, wherebythe rest may be swung to a position against the face of the panel [9, orto extend outwardly from the bottom thereof 'as desired. The back edgeof the rest 20 has a stop plate 23 which limits the downward swing ofthe rest as is readily apparent.

The seat is coupled at each side, at the back edge, to the lower part ofthe back, by the two downwardly curved arms 24. Each arm is integral atone end with'a plate 25 which is secured to'the side of the seat and theother end of the arm is pivotally coupled to the side of the back as at26. Thus when the back is in normal position, the back' edge of the seatwill be drawn in against the front of the chair back as shown in brokenlines, but when the chair back is swung on its pivots M the seat willmove up and forward until it and the back are in horizontal pounit 28.

The keeper bar comprises a long, flat arcuate barbody 29 having a seriesof slots or notches 30 cut in the convex edge thereof. At its upper endthebar is widenedto form a bill 3|, at the end ofthe' convex edge, oneedge of this bill leading edgeof the seat back when the latter is innormalupright position, and curves forwardly and upwardly so that-itsupper end will be near the top of the seat when the latter is in itslowermost position.

Fixed to the side of the seat, near the back edgethereof'and adjacent tothe keeper bar unit 21, is-the lock unit 28 which is designed for selec-L tive'coupling with the bar at the notches 3!].

sides, and near the front,

The seat carrying lock unit 28 comprises a plate 34 having a mountingflange 35'which is secured,

as shown in- Figure 3 to the seat bottom so-thatthe plate 34 is in theplane of the adjacent side of the seat and is in spaced parallelrelation with;

the bar 29.

In spaced relation to the plate 34 and betweenthe latter and the bar 29is a cover plate 36, held to the plate 34 by rivets 31 and spacers 3.8.

Mounted between plates 3436.to, swing on the pivot pin 39 is a boltplate 40, which extends downwardly and rearwardly to provide the lockingbolt 4|, which terminates in the inwardly directed lip 42.v This lip 42.projects across the plane of the keeper, bar body 29=and is disposed soasto enter a. slt'30 when the bolt is swung up toward thebar body.

Below and forwardly of the plate 48 a leaf spring 43 is secured upona'pin 4 4 and bears at one end against the under. edgeof the plate 40t0;

Below the lower horn and rearwardly there from is fixed, betweentheplates 3436, a stop pin 48 which limits the upward swing of-the bolt4|. The down swing of the bolt'is limited by asimilar stop pin 49,located above and forwardly ofthe pivot 39, and contacted by theterminal car 58 forming an extension of thebolt plate 40.

Mounted on the pivot pin which is-positioned between the plates 3436rearwardly of the pivot 39 and in line with'the socket 45, is the boltoperating lever 52. The pivot pin 5| passes through thelower end of thislever and the lever extends-upwardly across the adjacent side of theseat and carries upon its upper end, above the level of the seat top,the knob 53.

Thelower end of the lever 52 carries the forwardly directed short arm 54which terminates in the forwardly directed, semi-circularhead 55, andthe upper and lower, forwardly facing stop shoulders 56 and 5'!respectively which coact rev spectively with the fiat ends of theadjacent horns and 41.

Thesocket or recess 45 is, as stated, approximately-semi-elliptical andhas its-long axis sub stantially vertical, while the lever arm head, issubstantially semi-circular'and of a' size to position entirely withinthe recess 45, together with one shoulder;

At the outer end of each shoulder, is an outwardly bulging cam 58, whichalternately 'engage, or work, in the socket in'the action of.disengaging the bolt from the keeper bar and releasing itforreengagement therewith.

Figure l'shows theseat fully elevated, in which:

position the bolt lip is engaged in the top keeper barslot- 38, whileFigure 2i'showsthe bolt lip engaged in alower slot 30. As shown whenthebolt lip is so engaged the lever arm head 55 is in'the top end of therecess 45 and the shoulder 56 is opposed to and'engaged by the horn 46.The bolt is thus locked against downward swinging as'long as the leveris untouched.

If the lever is swung forward to the position shown in broken lines thecam 58 below the shoulder 51 presses into the lower part of the recesst'o force'the bolt 4| down and release the lip 42 from its slot andwhen the arm has swung to the position shown in broken lines theshoulder- 51 will engage-the end of, the lower horn 41 and .4 thussecure the bolt in open, or unlocked, position.

To return'the bolt to-locked engagement with the keeper bar a reversepull on the lever 52 will force the upper cam 58 against the upper partof the recess to reverse the operation.

From the, foregoing it will be seen that there is provided in thepresent invention a relatively simple, easily operated lockingmechanism, which can bemade strong and durable and will be positive andreliable in operation.

Iclaimr,

1. In a reclining chair, including spaced side arms, a backv pivotallysupported between. the arms,,a seat, a pivotalcoupling between thebottom of the back andtheback portion of the seat, swinging suspensionmeans for the seat between the front portion of the seat and the arms,by which theseat. is movable upwardly and forwardly. by and, upontheswinging of the back from an upright to a horizontal position, anarcuate keeper bar secured to one arm between the same.

and. the adjacent side of. the seat, a lock carried by the said side: oftheseat and comprising a pivotedbolt positioned to follow. the curve ofthe barupon upand. down, movement of the seat, means for coupling thebolt' to the bar at selected positions along the latter, a lever pivotedto the seat, and-meanscoupling the lever to the bolt by which swingingof the lever eifects movement of the bolt into and out oflockingconnection with the bar.

2.. A- locking mechanism for coaction with a relativelylong keeper. barcomprising a lock unit movable lengthwise'of the bar, a bolt platepivoted onthe unit to swing onan axis disposed transversely of the-bar,a bolt carried by said plate and having-means thereon adapted'forlooking engagement with the bar at selected locking means positionstherealong, means facilitating the said locking-engagement of the boltat selected positions therealong, a lever pivoted on the unit adjacentto the plate, a recess in the plate, a head carriedbythe leverandlocsely engaging in said recess, the lever when swung on its pivotfrom either of two positions'efiecting swinging of the plate to shiftthe bolt relative to the bar, and coacting locking means between thelever and plate to secure the plate against shifting from its locked orfrom its unlocked position.

3. Alocking mechanism as set forth in claim 2, wherein the said coactinglocking means comprises a stop shoulder at each of two opposite sides ofthe head and an abutment surface at each end of the recessin the plate,one of said shoulders being in engagement with the adjacent abutmentsurface in the locked and unlocked positions of the ,bolt.

ALO'IS SKOK.

REFERENCES CITED The following'references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 333,052 Brooks Dec. 22, 1885688,433 Siccardi Dec. 10, 1901 1,160,399 Giberson Nov. 16, 1915 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date,

782,066; France Mar. 11, 1935 278,786. Great Britain Oct. 7, 1927

